SULAIMANI (ESTA) — The Iraqi army is in coordination with Peshmerga forces to protect the border between Iraq and Syria, said a military spokesman on Tuesday.
Spokesman of Iraq’s Joint Operations Command Major General Tahsin al-Khafaji said the command had emphasized during meetings with the Kurdistan Region that there would be coordination and joint works to fill gaps between the Iraqi military and Peshmerga.
“There is a great work that the Joint Operations Command is doing in coordination with the Kurdistan Regional Government, as important centers have been opened to coordinate movement of units and follow up terrorist acts to fill the gaps on the Iraqi-Syrian border,” Khafaji told state news agency INA.
“This high coordination and exchange of intelligence and security information will contribute to stabilizing the situation, whether of the Iraqi-Syrian borders or in areas of common security concern,” he said.
Iraq has tightened security along 600 km border with Syria to curb the movement of Islamic State (ISIS) militants, drug smuggling and other illegal activities.
In April, the Iraqi forces detained a group of ISIS who was attempting to enter Iraq through the Syrian border. In March, the Iraqi forces thwarted an attempt by ISIS militants to infiltrate into Iraq from Syria.
The federal government announced victory over ISIS by the end of 2017 after Iraqi and Kurdish forces backed by U.S.-led Coalition regained control of areas once captured by the militant group.
Despite its defeat, ISIS still poses a threat to the security and stability of the country as there are still sleeper cells in Iraq.
